Surrey council admits schools 'out of space' after Labour's VAT tax raid

The crisis comes as the Government's 20 per cent levy on private schools is set to be introduced next month.

Officials estimate that 35,000 pupils nationwide will be forced to leave private education and enter the state system as a result of the tax changes.

A petition calling for the Government to reverse its decision to tax private schools has gathered more than 100,000 signatures within a week of being launched.

"No council is equipped for mass mid-year school entrance with no capacity planning. Almost 20pc of Surrey pupils go to independent schools and the state system is full," one concerned father told The Telegraph.

By law, local councils must provide school places for all children.

If nearby schools are full, councils must offer places at the next closest school with availability, regardless of distance.

For schools more than three miles away, councils are required to provide free transport.

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The council's data revealed just 215 additional spaces will be available in Year 7 for the 2025-2026 academic year.

For Year 8, there will be 502 spaces available.

However, for children aged 13 and above, there are no forecasted vacancies at all.

The shortage comes despite the Government's own data suggesting 2,400 children in Surrey will need places in state schools due to the VAT changes.

This could lead to significant costs for local authorities, who may need to arrange taxi services when public transport isn't available.

The situation has raised concerns about councils facing mounting bills for private transport to distant schools.

Surrey has one of the highest rates of private school attendance in Britain, with almost one in five children attending independent schools.

Official Department for Education data shows 40,054 pupils attend private schools out of 201,993 pupils in the county.

Dr Ben Spencer, MP for Runnymede and Weybridge, said: "I feel deeply sorry for the many children forced to move school as part of this attack on independent schools."

A Government spokesman defended the policy: "Ending tax breaks for private schools will raise £1.8billion a year by 2029-30 to help fund public services, including supporting the 94per cent of children in state schools to achieve and thrive."

The spokesman added that local authorities are responsible for securing sufficient school places.